Reparations, Censorship and Accountability

Below are some suggestions for topics during our next 1619 Discussion.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is asking the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees for answers on its decision not to vote on tenure for acclaimed journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones for tenure. In a letter obtained by Policy Watch this week, foundation CEO Richard Besser asked Board of Trustees Chairman Richard Stevens for assurances Hannah-Jones “is being treated fairly and equitably in decisions regarding her appointment” and strongly encouraged the board grant her tenure.

I’m happy to see an established foundation like The Robert Wood Johnson foundation take a stance on this issue. This is the kind of response that is needed for actions like those in North Carolina.

More information coming out about the Tulsa Massacre – a short video that makes two very important points. The first point is that this massacre in 1921 involved criminal activity that has never been pursued. The 2nd point is that this criminal activity involved in the massacre included active participation by the government. These are important points that need to be made clear and understood for those who care about this issue.

Reparations for the descendants of the Tulsa Massacre

Another piece that has come to my attention about the Tulsa Massacre and its aftermath is presented in this hour and a half long video. It not only describes the history of the massacre but also discusses a lot of what is happening today in Tulsa in response to the awful incident that has been ignored and buried for too long. This is a long presentation but after I finished viewing it I was left with a feeling it was worth my time.

The 1619 Project Discussion is directly related to the issue of censoring our history and removing the parts that do not support a particular narrative. This article describes a censoring incident by the head of an American Legion post in Ohio. This highlights the deliberate censoring of our history – an issue that still exists today. This is not just a relic of our past. This is the kind of thing that we all need to be aware of and it is nice to see that in this case, there was some reaction to the censorship. The fact that the broadcasting of the information was censored caused the audience to miss out on vital information about our nation’s past.

Here is another example of a serious move being taken towards reparations. There are many examples around the country but we have mentioned 2 recently: The Virginia Theological Seminary and the actions being taken in Tulsa. There are many other examples around the country.

As California's reparations committee embarks on a two-year process to study the harms of slavery and systemic racism, task force members will confront how a single state, which never formally sanctioned slavery, can make amends. During the first meeting, members openly grappled with whether reparations should mean direct payments or long-term investments, such as education and housing, to boost African American households.

Our meeting is Friday, June 18th at 12 noon PST. We look forward to good attendance and participation. To stay up to date with our discussion, click the link above on the left to subscribe to our blog and be notified whenever new information is available.

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Reparations, Censorship and Accountability